Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
56 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 3955132 · MC-1473253
CATER TRANSPORT LLC
56 power unitsavg 16.4 yrRegional · 5 statesHAMMOND, IN
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-1473253 ACTIVEHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
56Power units
21 observed · MCS-150
19Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
16.4Avg age (yr)
1998–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-18
Review before loading
Operating, but with flags a broker should weigh before tendering freight.
Active operating authorityInsurance on fileVehicle out-of-service rate well above average
Watch · 2
Operating authority33 yr active
since 2022Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo40.040.0 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
2 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
16.4 yr
Model years 1998–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
3 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2022 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is CATER TRANSPORT LLC safe to work with?
Is CATER TRANSPORT LLC safe to load? CATER TRANSPORT LLC (USDOT 3955132, MC-1473253) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in HAMMOND, IN, operating 56 power units and 56 drivers. Operating authority has been active 3 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 61 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 40.0% (above the 22.26% national average), with 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA has not assigned a safety rating. Vektor rates it review before loading (74/100), with the leading concern: vehicle out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-07-18.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-18
CTCATER TRANSPORT LLC 74
01
Safety
61 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 40.0% (24-mo)10 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)28 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
16.7% now▲ Worsening
Inspection coverage· expected vs observed · the fraud signal
Inspection coverage
How heavily FMCSA inspects this fleet for its size — it tells you how much to trust the safety signals above. Thin coverage on a young authority is a fraud signal nobody else surfaces.
Under-inspected
Expected
Well-monitored
Heavily inspected
≈0.3 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 56-unit fleet — the out-of-service and violation signals above rest on a small sample, so weight them cautiously. Thin coverage on a young authority is itself a flag.
- Registered power units
- 56
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 28
- Annualized
- ≈14 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.3 inspections / unit · yr
Violation themes· decoded · grouped by BASIC
What this carrier actually gets cited for — FMCSA violation codes decoded into plain English, ranked by frequency.
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving56
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance10
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance9 · 2 OOS
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance8
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance6 · 6 OOS
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance5
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance5
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance5
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance5 · 4 OOS
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving4
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- None
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 3 insurers · 0 lapsesContinuous
+2 earlier
Navigators · 24–26
20222026
No BIPD policy is currently in force in the filing history. The authority record may still list one on file — request a COI to confirm current coverage.
3 insurer eras · collapsed from 5 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAVIGATORS INSURANCE COMPANY | Jan 2024 → Jan 2026 | $1M | 2 |
| ACUITY, A MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Jan 2023 → Jan 2024 | $1M | 2 |
| ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2022 → Jan 2023 | $1M | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 56
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 21
- Trailers (towed)
- 19
Capacity is power units only — trailers are towed equipment and are never summed into a fleet-size figure.
Fleet age· model years · decoded VINs
Average age
2026
Newest model yr
1998
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 5 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed55
US statesInspections · 24 mo2828
IN busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
HAMMOND, IN
Top corridor
IN
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 2 trucks also ran under 1 other carrier
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 1949153Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (18 trucks · 11 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 53773USDOT 3310619USDOT 84941USDOT 4172778USDOT 419125USDOT 1949153USDOT 134697USDOT 3319546
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@caterlogistics.com — 2 carriers: USDOT 3955126
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)5656
Observed (24 mo)2121
Shared w/ other carriers1818
Registered capacity materially exceeds what is observed roadside — the MCS-150 may be stale or the fleet under-utilized.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 3411 SHEFFIELD AVE, HAMMOND, IN, 46327
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 1610, VALPARAISO, IN, 46384
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (219) 615-1591
- Web domain
- caterlogistics.com
Registration
- Officer
- Brian Halaschak
- USDOT / docket
- 3955132 · MC-1473253
- First registered
- 09/18/2022
- Last MCS-150
- 02/17/2025 · 2,948,548 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Not rated
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.00
- D-U-N-S
- —
Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)
07
Federal activity
Daily-captured FMCSA licensing & insurance changes — monitored by Vektor
Federal record activity· monitored daily by Vektor
No licensing or insurance changes captured since Vektor began monitoring this carrier (June 2026). Quiet is usually good.
08
Reviews
Verified broker, shipper & driver reviews — moderated
Performance ratings only — never the Vektor risk score
No verified reviews yet
Be the first broker or shipper to rate CATER TRANSPORT LLC. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is CATER TRANSPORT LLC's USDOT number?
CATER TRANSPORT LLC's USDOT number is 3955132, and its motor carrier number is MC-1473253.
Is CATER TRANSPORT LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, CATER TRANSPORT LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is CATER TRANSPORT LLC's safety record?
CATER TRANSPORT LLC has a 40.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 61 roadside inspections, with 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and is not currently rated by FMCSA. Vektor's computed risk score is 74/100 (tier: review).
How big is CATER TRANSPORT LLC's fleet?
CATER TRANSPORT LLC operates 56 power units and 56 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is CATER TRANSPORT LLC based?
CATER TRANSPORT LLC is based in HAMMOND, IN, with roadside inspections recorded across 5 states.